


Always Valentine

by allfireburns



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Angst, F/M, Introspection, POV Third Person, Post-Canon, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-23
Updated: 2009-12-23
Packaged: 2017-10-05 01:39:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/36381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allfireburns/pseuds/allfireburns
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Valentines Day never goes unnoticed with Angel.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Always Valentine

There are some things about Angel that Buffy's just assumed are constant. Like the fact that she will always compare every man she's ever interested in to him, no matter who they are. Like the fact that it is _always_ appropriate to greet him with a kiss (with tongue if it's been a while since she's seen him). Like the fact that Valentine's Day never passes unnoticed.

The first time, it was just one of those chance things (or, really, not-so-chance, knowing Angel). Buffy bumped into him on patrol, he acted surprised, they did the usual song and dance complete with warnings of grave danger and comments that came out sounding a lot more embarrassing and awkward than they were meant to...

It was only as he was walking away that she thought she heard him murmur, "Happy Valentine's Day." She spun around, startled, but he'd somehow already vanished into the shadows.

The next year was more unpleasant, a red rose left on her pillow that held more threat than well-wishing. But the year after that, they spent Valentine's Night together, with sparring and then tai chi, and Buffy forgot the date until she was leaving. By then, it seemed silly to go back just to wish him a happy Valentine's Day, but she did after.

The year after he left, she was with Riley. He got her chocolate, flowers, spent the night with her... so why, she wondered, did it matter more that she got a letter from LA with no return address, no signature, containing just a sketch of LA's familiar skyline at night?

Year after year after year, through every big bad the hellmouth can throw at her, multiple apocalypses on both their ends... He kept sending Valentines. Not the kind everyone else sent, with the cards with red hearts or candy or flowers or anything, nothing he'd probably even _call_ valentines if she cornered him about it, but...

Always something on that day. Something sweet and personal and _him_.

This year's the first time since she met him that she hasn't gotten one, and sure, it's not like a castle in Scotland has a postbox, they don't tend to get a lot of mail here, but...

It's Angel. There's always something. He finds a way.

Except, apparently, this year. And it's no big deal, just a missed letter or drawing or necklace or... Nevertheless, Buffy decides today is a good day to lock herself in her room, scream into her pillow, and when she comes out, she'll pretend to everyone she hasn't just been crying for three hours straight.

Yes, that seems like a very good plan indeed.


End file.
